Fabric conditioners are known to provide benefits such as softening and perfume to fabrics. Typically, such compositions comprise a fabric softening agent dispersed in water. The fabric softening agent can be included at up to 8% by weight, in which case the compositions are considered dilute, or at levels from 8% to 60% by weight, in which case the compositions are considered concentrated.
More recently, it has been proposed to provide additional benefits from fabric conditioning compositions, such as ease of ironing or anti-wrinkle. This is beneficial since it can reduce the time spent by consumers on the laundry process.
WO 95/24460 discloses a rinse added fabric softening composition comprising from 0.2 to 20% of a silicone. The silicone has a linear structure.
EP-A2-0228261 relates to a product for relaxing fibres in textile fabrics comprising a silicone-glycol copolymer and 0.4 to 1.4 parts by weight of a quaternary ammonium salt.
GB-A-2159547 refers to a textile treating composition comprising a cationic surfactant and a polydiorganosiloxane having at least one amido-containing substituent. The siloxane imparts a dry non-greasy touch to fabrics and reduces rewet time.
EP-A2-0255711 discloses an article of manufacture for use in an automatic laundry dryer comprising a flexible substrate carrying (A) a cationic fabric softening agent and (B) 0.1 to 15 wt % of a polydiorganosiloxane. The siloxane is said to have a generally linear structure.
WO-A1-00/24860 discloses a product and process for laundering delicate or dry-clean only garments in a domestic washing machine. The product preferably includes a silicone softening agent. The silicone has a linear structure.
GB-A-2223768 relates to a rinse cycle softener comprising a polydiorganosiloxane foam controlling agent. The siloxane is substantially linear.
EP-A2-233910 discloses rapidly biodegradable fabric softening compositions where an optional silicone component may be present. The silicone is described as predominantly linear.
EP-A-354856 teaches fabric softening compositions comprising a cationic softening salt and a cross-linked polysiloxane.
The present inventors have now found that certain compositions can assist in reducing the drying time of laundered fabrics. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that the compositions decrease the amount of water left on fabrics following the rinse cycle spin. Thus, when the weight of the wet fabric is less, this will correspond to a shorter drying time for the consumer, irrespective of the method of drying.
This can not only reduce the time spent by consumers on such a task but can, for instance, reduce the energy requirement of tumble dryers which would not need to be run for as long.
EP-A1-224839 and EP-A1-200325 both disclose that silicone may be dispersed in rinse water combined with other laundry additives such as fabric conditioning compositions to reduce the drying time of fabrics. The silicones are amino- or amido-functional.
WO 01/73187 discloses a method for reducing the drying time of fabric comprising treating the fabric with a treatment composition comprising formaldehyde, a catalyst for crosslinking the formaldehyde with natural fibres in the fabric, and silicone elastomer or a precursor thereof, and heating the treated fabric to effect crosslinking of the formaldehyde. This is a complex operation which requires a heating stage to effect a chemical reaction within the components.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,166 discloses a fast-dry shampoo composition which contains cyclic methyl siloxanes.
WO-A1-01/60961 discloses laundry compositions containing superwetting silicones for enhanced penetration of active ingredients and anti-wrinkle benefits.
US-A1-2003/0050220 discloses articles for reducing the drying time of laundered fabrics, the articles comprising a fabric softening composition within a package and instructions to use an effective amount of the fabric softening composition to reduce the drying time of the fabrics. There is no disclosure of silicones.
In addition to providing the abovementioned benefits, it is highly desirable that the composition remains stable upon storage.
Instability can manifest itself as a thickening of the product upon storage, even to the point that the product is no longer pourable.
The problem of thickening upon storage is particularly apparent in concentrated fabric softening compositions comprising an ester-linked quaternary ammonium fabric softening material having one or more fully saturated alkyl chains.
It is also desirable that the compositions provide a drier tactile feel to fabrics